Bryn De KocksWhy do you need wireless speakers for TVs? The built-in speakers you’ll find on most TVs substantially lack sound quality. Most people will supplement the built-in TV speakers with either a surround sound system or a soundbar. If that’s what you’re after, you’ll want to skip ahead to the “Soundbars and Home Theater Systems” section of this article.
The other dilemma many households face is when one person has difficulty hearing, but everyone else can hear just fine. Simply turning up the volume for that person to hear means it will be too loud for all the others. That’s where portable TV speakers come in.
Because of these two distinct variations, we’ve separated our top pick into two main categories: Portable TV Speakers & Wireless TV Speakers.
Best Portable TV Speaker
For the hard of hearing
Simolio TV Speaker
The Simolio offers everything you look for in a portable TV speaker, from easy functionality to great sound quality, all without breaking the bank. The ideal TV speaker for those who have hearing problems.
Best Wireless TV Speaker
For home entertainment
Bose Smart Soundbar 900
The Bose Smart Soundbar 900 is renowned for its audio quality. You can expect all the bells and whistles, including Wifi & Bluetooth connectivity, voice control with Alexa & Google Assistant, and ADAPTiQ features.
Best Overall (Our Pick)
The Bose smart soundbar 900 pushes the envelope for what a well-rounded operating system on a soundbar should look and sound like. With voice control options that interact with Alexa for built-in voice assistance, the bose 900 makes it easier to control the room with just your voice. The Bose 900 also possesses a supreme sound quality, accommodating Dolby and stereo sonics.
Budget-Friendly Choice
The Avantree Torus portable speaker consists of so many features and, at the same time, beats its competitors in terms of pricing. This product ranks 1st regarding price, functionality, and features it possesses.
Best For Latency
Regarding the above products, two products deserve to be mentioned concerning latency. The Bose 900 would be our primary choice for latency via Bluetooth connectivity. Still, the Bestisan soundbar has duality in being a wireless soundbar with the option of RCA/auxiliary cable connection, which helps combat latency.
Best Wireless Soundbar
The Sonos Arc is our choice for the best wireless soundbar. It features the same incredible sound we’ve come to associate with Sonos, providing a solid low-end response that is hard to find on other soundbars. This is a reasonably large speaker and can bring a lot of additional volume to your entertainment area.
Best For Dialog
The Sereonic Speaker has audio streamed in real-time in a high-fidelity fashion, eliminating any lag or audio-to-visual delays. One can expect crystal-clear, outstanding quality that is well-suited for any style of film, music, or spoken word. Thanks to an adjustable voice tone enhancement software to accommodate tonal adjustments, assisting those with limited frequency perception or poorly recorded media.
Best Wireless Connectivity on the Speaker End
The JBL 9.1 comprises three interlinked speakers, including a subwoofer. This system is one of a kind, and the detachable speakers can be placed within the room in a range of the soundbar system and Bluetooth connectivity.
Best Speaker with Bluetooth Input
Speakers are categorized as output devices. The Bestisan soundbar changes because it acts as a speaker with an inbuilt transmitter to connect to a TV without Bluetooth. The Bestisan is the only speaker that serves as a TV speaker with Bluetooth input through this definition.
Rather than just making the audio louder, these speakers feature dialogue enhancements. This makes speech sound clearer and easier to hear over the background and special effect sounds. Because they’re portable, you can place the speaker beside you, bringing the sound closer. Additionally, these speakers allow you to connect headphones. This is particularly useful when one person needs sound enhancement, and the other does not.
Portable Wireless Speakers for TV
Primarily used by the elderly or hearing impaired.
These are usually ultra-compact, portable speakers with a base station at the TV or audio source and then the portable speaker itself.
These portable TV speakers are not excessively loud and are meant to bring the sound closer to someone’s ears, so they don’t have to have to put the volume on full blast on the TV or strain to hear. Most portable TV speakers have a headphone output so the listener can use the speaker or listen on headphones.
Rather than Bluetooth or WiFi, the base station, transmitter, and speaker will connect via a pre-programmed radio frequency, usually in the UHF frequency range. Essentially, this is like picking up a radio station. The benefits of UHF, as opposed to Bluetooth, are a much better range (around 100ft) and better connectivity with less dropout.
1. Simolio Wireless Portable TV Speaker
Radio-Frequency Range
Headphones
Yes
Battery
6 Hours
Weight
2.8 lbs
Size
10″ x 9″ x4″
The Simolio Digital Wireless TV Speaker is great value for money. The extras include two power adapters, headphones with earpieces, RCA to ⅛ inch cable, a ⅛ inch to ⅛ inch cable, and an optical cable. Simolio is also one of the few portable wireless TV speakers with digital optical input. The speaker takes both optical and ⅛ inch AUX at the base station. This is a great value-add as it eliminates the need for purchasing an additional device to convert from digital to analog. The Simolio takes both optical and ⅛ inch AUX at the base station.
Volume Control
There is a high/mid/low tone control on the rear of the portable speaker. High works well with dialogue-heavy audio content, while the mid and low settings can be switched between for movies and music. A single large on/off/volume control makes switching the speaker on and off or adjusting the volume easy.
Power & Batteries
Both the base station and portable speaker have AC power inputs. Simolio has been generous enough to supply you with two power adapters for each unit. Having a power adapter for the portable speaker means you don’t have to remember to place the speaker on the base station to recharge the battery. If you intend to use the speaker in the same position near a power socket, this extra power for the speaker is convenient.
Read our full review of the Simolio Wireless Speaker.
Why We Recommend It
When we think of wireless speakers for TV aimed at the hard of hearing or individual listening, this is the design we first think of. It’s straightforward to set up and start using and is often considered the safe bet for affordable products in this market.
2. Sereonic Portable Wireless TV Speakers
Radio-Frequency Range
Headphones
Yes
Battery
8 Hours
Weight
1.7 lbs
Size
9″ x 7″ x 3.25″
American audio manufacturer Serene has released their TV-Soundbox Wireless Speaker, which provides comfortable listening for all; however, this device specifically targets seniors and those facing hearing difficulties. This unit can be easily paired to your TV or cable box by connecting the accompanied wireless transmitter to your source device using HDMI, optical, or RCA audio cable. The speaker can then be placed anywhere within 100 feet, wherever you see fit.
Sound Performance
The audio is streamed in real-time in a high-fidelity fashion, eliminating any lag or audio-to-visual delays. One can expect crystal-clear, outstanding quality well-suited for any style of film, music, or spoken word. Thanks to an adjustable voice tone enhancement software to accommodate tonal adjustments, assisting those with limited frequency perception or poorly recorded media.
The Sereonic Soundbox can perform at high volumes while maintaining a warm and natural acoustic character. A handy sleep timer function is included on the device, which gradually lowers the output volume of your chosen media over the course of 60 minutes, permitting sleepy viewers to rest easily and remove the risk of a rude awakening by loud explosive action scenes on the TV. Additionally, the volume control operates independently from your TV set, and a pair of headphones or earbuds can be connected to the receiver/speaker part of the device for private listening.
Read our full review of the Sereonic Portable Wireless TV Speaker.
Why We Recommend It
The Sereonic follows a very similar design to the Simolio, and both operate quite similarly, too. This is a good choice for a safe option that is versatile and easily portable. It’s extremely easy to use as well.
3. Audio Fox Wireless Speakers for TV
Radio-Frequency Range
Headphones
No
Battery
None
Weight
2.74 lbs
Size
24″ x 3.96″ x 3″
Audio Fox designed this speaker for people who need individual volume control without the inconvenience and segregation of earphones. The customizable steel ties encased in vinyl are used to hold and position the speakers on the rear of your seat at the ideal distance from your ears.
Wireless Connectivity
It utilizes a wide range of broad-spectrum hopping technology between 30 channels to find the clearest 2.4 MHz recurrence and provide a frequency range of 100 feet. These speakers do not need a view of the transmitter like numerous items available that use infrared innovation.
Build & Design
It was designed with the hard-on-hearing, those with contrasting volume inclinations, gamers, and the afternoon dozers in mind. The design incorporates volume control and mute buttons found on each individual speaker. Plug the transmitter into your TV’s sound-out port and a 110V electrical plug, power up your collector, and you have individual volume control while others can tune in at their ideal level. It is compatible with any TV audio.
Why We Recommend It
Because these speakers can be placed next to your head on either side, they offer an improved soundstage and listening experience over a single speaker solution where all sound is coming from one direction. They are also a great option for those who find earbuds annoying.
4. Avantree Torus
Radio-Frequency Range
Headphones
Yes
Battery
14 Hours
Weight
0.57 lbs
Size
8″x 7″ x 0.98″
With a weight of 0.57 lbs, the speaker comes with great 3D sound output from its full-range speakers on both sides of your neck. This design approach allows one to avoid the excessive use of earplugs, which can provide more comfort. With that said, as comfort is subjective – if you’re someone who doesn’t like things around your neck, this is probably not the best choice for you. These are essentially a combination of TV speaker and earphone.
Sound Performance & Codecs
It encompasses your ears to deliver 3D surround sound quality. It also possesses an aptX Low Latency codec wiping out lip-sync delay while watching your favorite shows or movies. AptX is one the leading codecs on the market for low latency performance, providing marked improvements over traditional wireless audio codecs.
The lightweight remote neck speaker with retractable earbuds circles delicately around your neck and lays on your shoulders, giving an agreeable and secure fit and allowing the user to be mobile. Change to the earbuds when you need privacy and don’t want to upset others. This is all combined with cutting-edge aptX-HD for sound data transfer, bringing about a “better-than-CD” listening experience using Bluetooth technology.
Why We Recommend It
The Avantree Torus is best for those who are hard of hearing and want a low-latency wireless speaker. The design is quite unique and may not be to everyone’s tastes, but for many users, it’s greatly enhanced their TV viewing experience.
Non-Portable Wireless Speakers for TV
For those looking to enhance the sound of their TV
Non-portable wireless speakers for TV include soundbars and home theater systems that offer wireless input connectivity. In most cases, this is a Bluetooth or WiFi connection. For multiple speaker systems, the wireless connectivity extends to the speakers, meaning reduced or no speaker cables.
The technology for speakers to be completely wireless is still fairly advanced, so you won’t find this kind of system for less than a few hundred dollars. In most of the less expensive systems, the rear surrounds will connect to a satellite decoder/receiver via speaker cable. Only the advanced high-end home theater systems will have independent wireless connectivity to each individual speaker.
As you can see from the above, wireless speakers for TV could mean wireless on the input or output end. Most speakers offer wireless input, but not many connect wirelessly to replace speaker cables, and of course, you will still need a power cable. Therefore, no “wireless” speaker for TV is ever completely wireless, as it needs to plug into a power source.
5. Sonos Arc Soundbar
Wireless
WiFi
Inputs
HDMI
Weight
24.6 lbs
Size
3.4 x 45 x 4.5″
The Arc soundbar is one of the larger soundbars Sonos offers and one of the best sounding. While the price is quite steep for a product that doesn’t include a subwoofer, with Sonos’s quality, there is merit behind the elevated price tag.
Design & Build
At 45″, this soundbar requires a fairly large area to mount or place but fits perfectly with televisions that are 50″ or larger. The design itself is unassuming, and if it didn’t have the Sonos logo in the center, you probably wouldn’t pick it out from any other soundbar on the market. It features a curved front grille and a somewhat cylindrical appearance. This is in stark contrast to the flat soundbars we’ve become used to seeing recently.
The truth is that while this speaker is subtle in appearance, what it does with audio is another story.
Drivers & Sound Quality
The Sonos ARC comes with a rather authoritative array of drivers, featuring a total of eight woofers for the low and midrange sound, while three angled silk-dome tweeters cover the high end with precision.
As to be expected from the name, the Sonos Arc uses ARC technology (Audio Return Channel) which brings better performance and functionality to your audio setup. The Sonos Arc soundbar is different because many soundbars are lacking in the low-end department. There is a distinctly impressive bass response which, while falling short of dedicated subwoofer performance, performs much better than most other soundbars on the market and lets you really get away without investing in a dedicated sub. That said, Sonos offers the Sonos Sub, which will take your setup to the next level.
The sound is wide, with an impressive soundscape, with a balanced sound signature that even audiophiles will approve of.
Why We Recommend It
The Sonos Arc is a premium wireless soundbar that will add high-quality audio to your home theatre. It’s a fairly large speaker capable of producing brilliantly loud audio that will work great for movies and music. Pristine clarity and deep bass are just two of its standout features.
6. Bose Smart Soundbar 900
Radio-Frequency Range
Wireless
WiFi, BT
Inputs
HDMI, Optical
Weight
17 lbs
Size
41″ x 2″ x 4″
Bose advertises the Smart Soundbar 900 as its most immersive soundbar model and focuses on bringing more volume and smart features to your home entertainment area.
Build & Design
The latest wireless soundbar from Bose comes with exclusively designed dipole speakers working with Bose advancements. Design-wise, it follows a fairly standard approach with an elongated cuboid shape with a wrapped speaker griller along the front with touch-panel controls along the top. This soundbar is fairly large, at just over 40″. However, it also manages to come in at under 20 lbs, which is impressive for a speaker of this size.
Drivers & Sound
The soundbar system facilitates Dolby Atmos, bringing cinema sound quality closer to home. Some of the company’s advancements include the Bose TrueSpace spatial processing. This helps in allowing the Bluetooth speaker to analyze signals in stereo or 5.1 and then up mixes them, creating a 7-channel audio experience with height in the soundscape. Technology that hasn’t been seen in a wireless Bluetooth speaker before.
The detail in the speaker is great, with a detailed midrange and treble response. However, the low end is lackluster, and this speaker will benefit from a subwoofer.
Features
With Alexa and Google Assistant incorporated into the remote Bluetooth soundbar, you’re in control of your home entertainment using voice commands alone. The soundbar’s other connectivity technologies include Bluetooth, HDMI, Wi-Fi, and optical technology. It also comes with features such as Apple AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect to wirelessly stream whatever music you want.
When unboxing, download the Bose Music app to set up your Bluetooth soundbar speaker, set up Voice4Video, and browse your music in one place. It’s another simple way to control and group compatible Bose products.
Why We Recommend It
If you’re looking for a soundbar that can provide enough volume to a larger room, the Smart Soundbar 900 from Bose is their largest wireless sound range and brings smart features to your home and great sound.
7. JBL Bar 9.1
Radio-Frequency Range
Wireless
WiFi, BT
Inputs
HDMI
Weight
8 lbs
Size
34.8 x 2.4 x 4.7″
We selected the JBL 9.1 soundbar system because of the advanced set of features, in combination with the immersive sound this detachable soundbar style can provide. It’s far from the most affordable wireless speaker on the market, but what it lacks in affordability, it adds in performance.
Design & Build
The JBL Bar 9.1 has a sleek design that features a flat build. This soundbar style has become more common in recent years, moving away from the previously prevalent rounded speaker grille such as that found on something like the Bestisan.
As mentioned, this soundbar uses a detachable surround sound feature where you can either use the additional speakers connected to the soundbar or remove them and use them as wireless surround sound speakers.
With a built-in Chromecast, Ultra HD 4K with Dolby Vision, and Apple AirPlay support, the JBL 9.1 soundbar setup provides more than just great quality sound. While the JBL 9.1 brings a lot to the table regarding modern audio features, be aware that the technology you pair this soundbar with must be compatible.
Drivers & Sound Quality
With 820 watts of power provided from a large speaker array, this is a great choice to fill a larger room with sound, such as a home theatre setup.
Expect crystal clear audio from the JBL BAR 9.1 that spans across frequencies. The highs and mids are warm and vibrant due to the inclusion of several racetrack drivers, up-firing drivers, and 20mm tweeters. While these drivers do an excellent job at covering the mid and high range – a powerful 10″ subwoofer adds much weight to the low-end response.
Why We Recommend It
While the JBL Bar 9.1 doesn’t come cheap, it offers a versatile soundbar/surround sound combination with its inclusion of detachable pieces that operate as wireless speakers. The clarity of the audio is excellent, and there is no shortness of features with this soundbar.
8. Bestisan Soundbar
Radio-Frequency Range
Wireless
Bluetooth 5.0
Inputs
RCA, Optical
Weight
9.88 lbs
Size
40″ x 4″ x 4.1″
The Bestisan Soundbar comes in several sizes to fit the needs of your entertainment area. It is available in 28″, 34″, and the largest 40″ variation. We’ll focus on the 40″ version in this list. This speaker is mostly affordable, with even the largest offering under $100.
Design & Build
The Bestisan 40″ soundbar has a fairly generic design, as most soundbars do. However, it is differentiated from the flat, square design often found in modern soundbars and instead has a curved front speaker grille. The controls are located on the right side of the speaker, though an included remote ensures you can control all the speaker settings from where you sit. The inclusion of Bluetooth 5.0 provides better latency performance over previous Bluetooth versions.
Drivers & Sound Quality
Behind the speaker grille, you’ll find four 3″ full-range drivers, which provide a solid low-end and midrange performance, while two 2.35″ tweeters produce a clear and intelligible treble response. It comes with various sound effects modes highlighting the sound effects of different occasions. With a wired and wireless connection, you can utilize the latest version of Bluetooth from 33ft away or connect with the in-unit 3.5 mm, RCA, and optical inputs.
Even though this driver configuration does well for an out-the-box experience, this speaker will still benefit from a dedicated subwoofer, as the bass tends to drop off a little towards the low end.
Why We Recommend It
The Bestisan Soundbar is a good budget soundbar that doesn’t look to do anything extra. Instead, it focuses on providing an affordable solution that has enough volume and depth for most situations.
Why Did We Select These Speakers?
We believe that there were two markets within this niche. Those looking for assistive technology to help here dialogue better and those looking to improve their current sound setup.
When it comes to assistive technology, we understand that being able to hear the TV more clearly is your goal. We selected speakers that focus on bringing the sound closer to you. The first three speakers are portable for up to 100ft away from their receivers. They allow you to change the tone of the dialogue to help those with poor frequency perception.
When selecting our soundbars to improve your sound setup, we specifically looked at the Bluetooth and wireless offering, if the speaker has an aptX Low Latency codec and the available connections in case of latency issues. We have made sure that the assistive technology speakers provide you with some freedom. The minimum connectivity range is 30 feet from the audio source.
The soundbars on our list do not have every connection as listed above. Some only use Bluetooth, others use Bluetooth and Wifi, and for each speaker, there is a different combination. Be sure to read the descriptions carefully before making your decision.
Understanding Wireless Speakers for TV
Wireless speakers are loudspeakers that receive audio signals using radio frequency (RF waves) rather than audio cables. The two most popular RF frequencies that support audio transmission to wireless speakers for TVs include a variation of Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11. In contrast, others depend on Bluetooth to transmit audio data to the receiving speaker.
Two different configurations involve audio transmission because some TVs don’t have Bluetooth. Wireless speakers that work with non-Bluetooth TVs are composed of two units. The main speaker unit combines the loudspeaker with an RF receiver and an RF transmitter.
The transmitter connects to the audio output of any audio device, such as a TV, hi-fi equipment, computer, etc. An RCA plug is normally used to achieve this. The receiver (the speaker) is positioned where the listener wants the sound to be. Providing the freedom to move the wireless speakers around without using cables. Most modern television now comes with Bluetooth and can connect with your speakers seamlessly.
This is possible because the TV’s Bluetooth and the speakers enable communicating and exchanging data over short distances, less than 10m or 30ft. The Bluetooth technology sends and receives radio waves in a band of 79 different frequencies (channels) centered on 2.45 GHz.
What Makes a TV Speaker Wireless
Wireless speakers are loudspeakers that receive audio signals using radio frequency (RF waves) rather than audio cables. The two most popular RF frequencies that support audio transmission to wireless loudspeakers include a variation of Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11. In contrast, others depend on Bluetooth to transmit audio data to the receiving speaker.
Two different configurations involve audio transmission because some TVs don’t have Bluetooth. Wireless speakers that work with non-Bluetooth TVs are composed of two units. The main speaker unit combines the loudspeaker with an RF receiver and an RF transmitter.
The transmitter connects to the audio output of any audio device, such as a TV, hi-fi equipment, computer, etc. An RCA plug is normally used to achieve this. The receiver (the speaker) is positioned where the listener wants the sound to be. Providing the freedom to move the wireless speakers around without using cables. Most modern television now comes with Bluetooth and can connect with your speakers seamlessly.
This is possible because the TV’s Bluetooth and the speakers enable communicating and exchanging data over short distances, less than 10m or 30ft. The Bluetooth technology sends and receives radio waves in a band of 79 different frequencies (channels) centered on 2.45 GHz.
How Wireless Connectivity Affects Audio Signal
Compared to Bluetooth, a transmitter and speaker will connect via a pre-programmed radio frequency, usually in the UHF frequency range. Essentially, this is like picking up a radio station. The benefits of UHF, as opposed to Bluetooth, are a much better range (around 100ft) and better connectivity with less dropout.
Latency within wireless connectivity In a Bluetooth audio chain, you have a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter sends the audio signal to the receiver. This audio signal uses a specific bandwidth to “travel” from source to destination. The bigger the audio signal’s file size, the more bandwidth it needs to get to the receiver.
When using a wired connection or an aux cable, latency is reduced to 5 to 10ms (milliseconds). When the same file is transferred via wireless connectivity, especially Bluetooth, the latency can increase to 100-300ms. It needs to be said that Bluetooth technology has drastically improved since its introduction in 2000. Since then, the variables that affect sound quality in conjunction with wireless Bluetooth connections have decreased.
Some of the things that can still affect audio signal and latency are:
Wireless Bluetooth speakers have received considerable criticism as the years have gone by. This is mainly about RF interference with other signal sources like cordless phones and the relatively low sound qualities some models deliver. But with the expansion of Bluetooth technology, devices can automatically detect and connect. This can simultaneously happen with eight devices communicating with each other simultaneously. They can avoid interference with other devices because of 79 available channels made available to them.
If two devices are corresponding, they pick a channel randomly, and if that’s already taken, it randomly switches to another channel. The development of this technique is known as spread-spectrum frequency hopping. With such improvements, wireless speakers have gained popularity with consumers, and many models are actively marketed as small and portable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Any good purchase decision is driven by useful information. Sometimes, the questions others ask can help you make an educated purchase decision. We’ve included some of the more commonly asked questions when buying a wireless speaker for TV use.
Do wireless soundbars have good audio?
Gone are the days when traditional speakers stomped out soundbars in performance. With the advanced soundbar design, you will now find some excellent audio quality in soundbar form, many of which are also very affordable.
Do I need a sub-bass?
If you’re looking for a wireless home theatre speaker setup, we highly encourage the purchase of a setup that includes a sub-bass or purchase a separate sub-woofer. This is especially true for soundbars which, while catering well to the mid and high range, can often lack low-end response.
How to avoid wireless TV speaker lag?
Audio lag has historically been an artifact of slow transfer rates of Bluetooth connectivity. In recent years Bluetooth has become vastly more sophisticated with better encoding resulting in lower latency. Newer Bluetooth versions (5.0/5.2) can help dramatically reduce lag, so this is often no longer a problem.
Is Bluetooth or Wifi connectivity better?
Even with the modern advances in Bluetooth speeds, wifi will still typically offer a slightly quicker solution.
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